Phonograph machine



G. STROBINO. EHONOGRAPH MACHiNE. APPLICATION FILED 001 29, I920.

1,430,700. Patented Oct. 3,1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

V///////////// ///Z/A/// WITNESS: I v INVENTOH A GaYon STvobmo, 7 I 8 EATTORNEY G. STROBIN'O.

PHONOGRAPH MACHINE- APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29. 1920.

1,430,700. Patented Oct. 3, 1922.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

WITNESS: I IIVVE/VTOIR' W M QcxsTon STvobmo,

ATTORNEY Patented Get. 3, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHONOGRAPH MACHINE. I

Application. fil ed October 29, 1920. Seria No. 420,374.-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GAsToN STnoBINo, a citizen of the United States,residing at Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jerseyhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in PhonographMachines, of which the following is a speci ficatiomi This inventionrelates to phonograph and the like machines (hereinafter termedphonograph machines), and it has for its principal object to provide anarrangement and construction ofthe system of parts that terminates in aneedle or point to bear on the recorcbforming surfacethat will conduceto such a transmission of vibrations that reproduction of sound in amaterially improved degree will ensue and that will further make itpossible for said system of parts to be operative, when used intransmitting vibrations from such a' surface, with recorcb grooves whoseundulations are eithervertical or lateral. The principal feature of myinvention consists in a transmitter characterized by an attenuated armformed of thin material and having a thick vibratory head, and arecord-groove-engaging needle or point fixedly connected to the thickhead of .said arm,fthe arm being movably connected to a fixed part ofthe machine. I have herein shown two forms ofv a machine embodying thisfeature of my invention; the machine shown in Figures 1. to 6 embodiesit with, and that shown in Figures 7 to 9 embodies it without, certainother novel fea tures which when used with the principal feature of myinvention increase the improvement which it represents in the way ofbetter sound reproduction that is capable in the, use of, the ordinarydevices, and which have certain value quite independent of the principalfeature.

In Figures 1 to 6, showing the first form,

Figure 1 is a front elevatiomthe case appearing in vertical section online 1 1, Figure 2; I

Figure 2 is a side elevation, the case again appearing in verticalsection;

,Figure 3 is a vertical front-to-rear section of the principal parts;Figures 4 and.5 are side and end elevations of therecord-'groove-engaging end portion of the transmitter; and I Figure 6is a diagrammatic View;

formed and arranged as follows:

the record-supporting platen c which is carried on the upper end of ashaft (Z which protrudes upwardly through the horizontal partition 6from the lower compartment 7 of the case and is adapted to be driven byany suitable motor in the lattercompartment,

such a motor being shown in Figure 2 and designated 9. The lowercompartment may have a sound outlet means as h in one side, as thefront, being preferably otherwise closed. 1

In the lower compartment is a rigid supp i g projecting inwardly fromits front wall. The end of this arm enters the loop of abracket k whichis articulatedto the arm by a pair of vertically opposed pivots Z Z setin the bracket, one of which is preferably a screw, as shown, to permitlost motion of the bearing formed to be taken up. The bracket isbifurcated at the top and one arm of its bifurcated portion is extendedto form a segment at which is surmounted by a plate a formed with alongitudinal slot 0, said arm and the other arm 19 of the bracketcarrying a pivot pin or bolt 9, arranged horizontally, and on this isjournaled a rocker 1 which has a long arm 8 formed with an abutment t tobear against the under side of plate 1%, the arm penetrating the slot 0of said plate and being threaded thereabout and equipped with a nut awhich may be made to coactwith said abutment to clamp the arm and hencethe rocker to whatever position around pivot 9 they maybe adjusted. Aresilient sup ort or connection surmounts the rocker, eing preferably Itis a plate spring v which is rebent (there being preferably two distinctbends, o and o", the former somewhat acute and the latter obcone andclosed at its smallerend, which may i I be formed of some light, stiffsheet material,

as parchment paper and preferably reinforced and stiffened at its marginby a hoop of wood or the like g jand there stylus device consisting of acurved tubular stem or arm part 2 a needle-carryinghead to be describedsuitably fitted to one end of said stem,and a curved member 2 which isbraced or otherwise secured to the other endof the part or member zandformstherewitli what substantially amounts to a fork, the members a and2 bemg preferably formed of metal tubing and member 2 having itsextremities beveled away so as to leave long bladelike resilientextremities 2 which are secured fast to diametrically opposite points iof the membrane member at or near its margin. It is desirable that thetransmitter formed by the membrane'me-mber, the fork r2 -2 and headshould be rigid, i. e., unadapt ed to flex as an incident to thebeveling or thinning down of the member 2 at the points '2 2 ,themembrane member and the member .2 ar'eboth elastic elements, and it is{further desirable to utilize their elasticity in creating a state oftension in the transmitter. For

' these purposes, 3 designates take-up screws which are tapped into themember 2 and penetrate the reinforced margin'of the membrane member, and4 designates suitable struts which traverse the marginal portion ofthemembrane member from points near the screws 3 to a substantiallydiametrically opposite point of the membrane member.

{When the screws 3 are turned the trans- Qmitter comprising the fork 2-2and membrane member will obviously be set in a condition of tension.Thetransmitter has a screw5 set in the relnforced marginal portion ofthe membrane member thereof at a 'point'adjoining and opposite thejuncturebetween the members .2 and 2, and this screw 1s tapped into theupper arm. of the spring supporter connection 1;, so that the saidtransmitter hangs pendent from said arm,

the connection (said screw) between the transmitter and arm being aninflexible one,

It will beseen (particularly on a view to thediagram, Figure 6) that thestructure comprising the transmitter,screw 5, spring sup 'port o androcker '2" are carried on'arm 27 through the med1um..of auniversal-joint lconnectionwhose.ares g and Z Z perm-it up n and downmovement of said structure, as.in changmg records, and horlzontalmovement thereof, in order that the needle mayprogress generallyradially of the record A when the machine is operating. In. order to'relieve the record of some of the pressure that would otherwise beincident to the weight of the transmitterin short, in order to ad justthe pressure ofthe needle on the recordarm 8 may be shifted and thensecured in the new position by means of nuts. So far the platen. It 1salso new to provide a carrier member, ask, movable in a plane parallelwith the record surface and a transmitterincluding structure, as i", o5, yw 2, a attached to the carrier and having a terminal (as a needle orpoint, to be described) to' rest on the record and being flexible andelastic between the carrier and terminal, and further provide saidstructure and the carrier with coacting means to secure said structure,when the point device rests on the record, in different degrees oftension. The membrane member occupies, as shown, the lower com partmentof the casethe stylus device protruding up through a hole 6 in partition6- and so is out of the way and obscured. The hereinbefore mentionedhead of the trans mitter, generally denoted by B, is'in the present casemade in two parts and 10, one to receive the needle or pointC and theother having a plug tofit into tube 2, parts 8 and '10 being connectedby a coupling 9, fixed in part 10 but affording a pivota supportthe axis8 being horizontal-to part 8', so that there will be a vertical yield,which is resisted by a spring 11. The needle or point C is shown as afork with a threaded stem 7 to fit into head B and a head 7 having(here) three arms 7 one to receive a plain needle proper (shown in axialalinement with stem 7 for laterally or vertically cut record-grooves andthe other two to receive respectively, Edison and Path needles properfor V-shaped andU-shape'd, record grooves, respectively.- In changingfrom one to another kindof record the operator has onlyto turn fork 7 onits stem as an, axis to bring the appropriate needle proper into oerative relation to the record-groove; when either of the Edison or Pathneedles proper is in use the fork stands in a vertical plane;

:Whell the plainneedle prop r i use the fork is shifted on its axisthrough The pivot 8 permits the part 8 of the transmitter head whichactually carries the point-device or needle to' yield verticallyrelatively to the remainder of the transmitter. The yield thus affordedserves to absorb the shock which, on account of the weight and inertiaof the transmitter, the record would undergo, with consequent injury,when the record is of the lateral-cut type, where the point device seeksto follow a direct course and short-cuts the deflections of therecord-groove and so undulates up and down somewhat. So far as I amawareit is broadly new to mount a pointdevice in a part of a transmitteryieldable up and down relatively to the remainder.

Referring now, to Figures 7 to 9: Parts a, b, b, 0, cl, 6, f, g, h and Aare or may be the same as parts a to h and A heretofore described,except that compartmcnt f is here shallower than in the first form. Thetransmitter parts a, B- and C are also essentially the same as the parts2 and B and C described, except that needle C is fixedly connected to aplate spring C" which is in turn fixedly connected to the head. A block12 is fitted to the outer end of tube .2 and it is equipped with adownwardly protruding bearing pin 13 whose upper end forms a conicalbearing socket 14 for the tapered lower end of a bearing pin 15 whichseats in said socket; a slot 16 in the block, extending longitudinallythereof and but just wide enough to admit pin 15, allows the latter tooscillate longitudinally but not transversely of the block. The lowerend of pin 13 and upper end of pin 15 are also tapered, being receivedin suitable bearings formed in the opposite portions of a rebent bracket17 which overhangsa recess 17 in and has one arm suitably fixed to partc of wall 6. The structure B, e 12 can swing on the axis 1315horizontally, or over the face of the record, and the connection is alsosuch that it can be swung up in a vertical plane but cannot fall oversidewise,

due to the slot 16 confining pin 15 to. a plane of articulationlongitudinal of said structure. A spring 18 holds pin 15 with its upperend always engaged in its bearing in bracket 16, In order to adjust thebearings of the pins 13-15 in the bracket the latter is traversed by astem 19 which is fixed in one arm and penetrates the other arm of saidbracket and has an adjusting nut 20 screwed thereon and bearing againstthe latter arm, it being desirable to avoid any tendency of pin 15 torattle.

The transmitters shown in both forms of the machine are essentially thesame in that each is characterized by an attenuated arm a (or a) formedof thin material and having a thick vibratory head B (or B), and arecord-groove-engaging needle or point fixedly connected to the thickhead of said arm, the arm being movably connected to a fixed part of themachine. Since sound reproduction is not by my transmit ter dependent onfiexion, as of a diaphragm in the case of the ordinary transmitter(which diaphragm is substantially inoperative unless set in a certainrelation to the undulations of the record groove). but is the result ofvibrations acting from point or needle C through the substance of thethick head B in every direction, the trans niitter is not only adaptedto both verticall and laterally cut records, interchangeably, but thesound reproductions are much more in faithful accord with the original.I utilize this quality of a thick vibratory body to best advantage in apractical organization of parts by making it a head on the end of anattenuated supporting portion formed of thin material (thin, so that thevibrations do not expend themselves in solid matter, as they in largemeasure would if said portion were as thick as or thicker than the head)and arranged and operating as set forth. The tube a is preferably madeof resonant material and so serves as a good means itself for setting upsound waves in the atmosphere, as well as to conduct the vibrationscreated in the head to an amplifier, as the means 2, w y of Figures 1 to6, or the sound-box formed by the (wooden) walls of chamber f in Figure7. For the material. of the head I use any resonant substance, havingused with good results such nonmetals as wood, fibre or the compositionof which phonograph records are usually made; tube a is preferablymetal, as brass.

Havin thus fully described my invention,

what I cIaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Incombination, a stationary supporting means, a movable record supportingplaten therein, and a transmitter including an attenuated arm formed ofthin material and having a thick vibratory head, and arecord-groove-engaging point device fixedly connected to the thick headof said arm, said arm being movably connected to said supporting meansat a point remote from the head and holding the head and point device inoperative relation to a record on the platen and the transmitter beingout of contact with said supporting means between.

said point and the point of contact of the point device with the record.

2. In combination, a stationary supporting means, a movable recordsupporting platen. therein, and a transmitter including an attenuatedarm formed of thin resonant material and having a thick vibratory head,and a record-groove-engaging point device fixedly connected to the thickhead of said arm, said arm being movably connected to said supportingmeans at a point remote from the head and holding the head and pointdevice in operative relation to a record on the platen and thetransmitter being out ofcontact with said supporting means between saidpoint and the point of contact of the point device with the record.

3. In combination, a stationary support? ing means, a movable recordsupporting platen therein, and a transmitter including an attenuated armformed of thin tubular material andiliaving thick vibratory head, and arecord-groove-engaging point device fixedly connected to the thick headof said arm, said arm being movably connected to said" supporting meansat a point remote from the head and holding the head and point device inoperative relation to a record on the platen and the transmitter beingout otcontact with said supporting means between said point and thepoint of contact of the point device with the record.

4. In combination, a supporting means, a movablev record-supportingplaten therein, and a transmitter including a vibratory member arrangedunder the platen and an upwardly and laterally extending portionterminating in a record-groove-engaging point. device overhanging arecord placed on the platen, said means supporting the transmitter inoperative movable relation to a record on the platen.

5 In combination, a supporting means, a. movable record-supportingplaten therein, and a.,transmitter including a vibratory member arrangedlower than the platen and an upwardly and laterally extending portionterminating in a record-groove-engaging point device and overhanging arecord placed on the platen, said means having a pivotal joint device tosupport the transmitter in operative movable relation to the platen.

6. In combination, a supporting means, a movable record-supportingplaten therein, a carrier member in said means, and atransmitter-including structure attached to the carrier member andhaving a record-grooveen'gaging point device and being flexible andelastic between said device and its point of attachment to the carriermember, said structure and the carrier having coacting means to securesaid structure, when the point device/rests on the record, in differentdegrees of tension. j

7. In combination, a supporting means, a

v movable "record-supporting platen therein, a

carrier member in said means, and a transmltter-including structureplvoted to the carrier member on an axis substantially parallel with therecord surface and having a record-groove-engaging point device andbeing flexible and elastic between said pointdevice and axis, wherebythe tension of said structure may be varied when the part ofsaidstructure adjacent said axis is shifted onsaid axis whilethe pointdevice bears on the record, said structure and carrier having co-actingmeans to hold said part in the position to which it is thus shifted.

8. In combination, .a supporting means, a movable record-supportingplaten therein,

and a transmitter including a vibratory movable record-supporting platentherein, a"

transmitter including a hollow vibratory member opening laterally, and astylus de- 'vice' projecting from said member and adapted to bear on'therecord, a part of said supporting means projecting into said member, andmeans to connect said transmitter to said part.

.10; A phonograph transmitter structure including a stiff membranemember and a stylus device including a bent elastic portion, said memberand stylus device holding each other in a state of tension.

11. A phonograph transmitter including a stiff hollow membrane member, astylus deing around the membrane member, and means, connecting saidmember and device, to cause each to hold the other in a state oftension.

. ice including 'a bent elastic portio t 12. A phonograph transmitterincluding a astiff membrane member, a stylus device including a bentelastic portion extending around, and attached at spaced points thereofto, the membrane member and spaced therefrom between said points, andmeans to draw together the stylus device and member having connectionwith them between said points. i

' 1.3. A phonograph transmitter including a stiff membrane member, astylus device in-: eluding a bent elastic portion extending around, andattached at spaced points thereof to,"the membrane member and spacedtherefrom between said points, means to draw together the stylus deviceand memberhaving conneotion with them between said points, and strutmeans connectingone side of the membrane member near the first meanswith the opposite side of said member. i

j 14. A phonograph transmitterincludinga stylus device having a bentelastic portion and means to hold said bent elastic portion in a stateof tension including a membrane member aroundwhlch said portion extends:

and secured to said portion at spaced points thereof. I

In testimony whereof I afiix m signature.

GASTON ST OBINO.

